Astronomy Daily S05E127 | Monday, June 29, 2026 Hosts: Anna & Avery | astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod In today's episode: RAD-BAARG — The Bow-and-Arrow Galaxy A citizen scientist scanning LOFAR radio telescope data spotted a galaxy like nothing seen in 25 years — RAD-BAARG stretches 1.8 million light-years and shows what may be the clearest radio signature of a giant cosmic bow shock ever observed. Published June 22 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Hayabusa2 Flyby — One Week Away Japan's Hayabusa2# spacecraft is set to fly past asteroid Torifune (2001 CC21) on July 5 at a distance of just 1–10 km — one of the closest asteroid encounters ever attempted. The spacecraft already delivered Ryugu samples to Earth in 2020. Mars Magmatic Systems — Oxford/Nature Astronomy A University of Oxford-led study published June 26 in Nature Astronomy reveals seismic evidence that Mars once hosted vast, Earth-like transcrustal magmatic systems spanning potentially thousands of kilometres — without plate tectonics. Based on NASA InSight seismic data. Skywatching — Strawberry Moon & Mercury Retrograde The full Strawberry Moon peaks at 23:58 UTC tonight in Sagittarius near the Teapot asterism. Mercury also begins retrograde motion today. Southern Hemisphere viewers have good conditions for lunar viewing in winter skies. ESA Juice & 3I/ATLAS — Five New Findings ESA has published early results from Juice's November 2025 observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Key findings: 2,000 kg of water vapour per second at perihelion; comet behaviour resembling solar system comets; novel trajectory data from NavCam; and confirmation of Juice's instrument readiness for the Jupiter mission. NASA Artemis Audit — $5.9 Billion in Cancelled Contracts A NASA Inspector General memo finds the total value of cancelled Artemis programme hardware contracts reached $5.9 billion, reflecting cost increases and timeline extensions prior to programme restructuring. Artemis III lunar landing remains targeted for 2027.

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This episode includes AI-generated content.

Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34034555?utm_source=youtube

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 77 BepiColombo mission finally reaches Mercury space After eight years of powered flight towards the planet Mercury, mission managers have finally turned off the BepiColombo spacecraft’s propulsion engines in preparation for planetary orbit insertion. Is our Sun changing A new study claims the Sun has been mysteriously changing over the last forty years. Strange new type of x-ray flare detected in deep space Astronomers have detected a mysterious never before seen new type of X-ray flare in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. The Science Report A special report on the latest bombshell developments in the case of the COVID 19 pandemic. Our Guests This Week: Uk Space Agency Programme Manager Rosemary Young Principle Investigator MIXS Instrument Emma Bunce Leicester University Planetary Geoscientist David Rothery The open University And our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life And Senior science writer and Sky and Telescope magazine contributor Jonathan Nally 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) For more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ (https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ) If you love this podcast, please get someone else to listen to. Thank you…

Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34030661?utm_source=youtube

In this episode of Space Nuts, join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson as they dive into a myriad of listener questions, exploring the cosmos with curiosity and humour. From the enigma of the Big Rip and the mysteries surrounding the universe's beginnings to the fascinating dynamics of colliding neutron stars and the potential for lunar sunsets, this Q&A edition promises to enlighten and entertain. Main Topics:

- The Big Rip vs. the Big Crunch: Is the Big Crunch making a comeback in cosmological discussions? [00:00–15:00]

- Exploring the concept of 'nothing' before the Big Bang: What does it mean and why is it so perplexing? [15:01–30:00]

- The collision of neutron stars: What happens and the implications for cosmic safety? [30:01–45:00]

- Lunar sunsets: Could you witness the sun's corona from the moon, and what is the effect of lunar dust? [45:01–60:00]

- Reflections on cosmic mysteries and the future of lunar exploration. [60:01–70:00]

Resources & Links:

- Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation Studies

- Research on Neutron Star Collisions

- Upcoming Lunar Exploration Missions

Connect with Professor Fred Watson:

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredwatson/) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/ProfFredWatson)

Join us for another fascinating journey through the universe, and don’t forget to send in your questions for future episodes! Stay curious, and keep looking up!

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00:00 –This is a Q and A edition of Space Nuts. We answer audience questions

01:56 –Fred: Question comes from Martin Berman Govine about the Big Crunch

09:54 –The RIP concept is probably more favourable than the crunch concept

10:30 –Mike asks question about whether there was anything before the Big Bang

16:51 –The cosmic microwave background radiation dates 380,000 years after the Big Bang

18:23 –When two neutron stars collide, do any fragments break off into the universe

20:14 –Colin says neutron stars are formed by gravitational collapse at end of star's life

23:05 –Our final question today comes from Bill in relation to the solar eclipse

24:40 –Could you see lunar corona from the surface, Professor Fred Watson says

28:50 –Space Nuts podcast available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio

Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34027577?utm_source=youtube